An electronic gaming machine (EGM) that is configured to provide a wager-based game can be likened to a combination of an automatic teller machine and a home gaming console. The automatic teller machine aspect relates to the cash handling capabilities of the EGM which allow it to securely receive, store and dispense cash or an indicia of credit redeemable for cash.
To provide cash handling capabilities, a common configuration for an EGM, such as a video slot machine or mechanical slot machine, is to include a bill validator and a ticket printer. The bill validator is configured to accept and validate cash currency and ticket vouchers where the ticket vouchers are bearer instruments redeemable for cash or game play on an EGM. Accepted cash or ticket vouchers can be converted to credits that are used to make wagers on the EGM. The accepted tickets and bills are stored within a cash box, also referred to as a drop box, secured within a locked EGM cabinet. When a player wishes to leave and has credits remaining on the EGM, the credits are converted to a cash value and are output as a ticket voucher via the printer where the cash value is typically printed on the ticket. The printed ticket voucher can be used to add credits to another EGM or the printed ticket voucher can be redeemed for its cash value.
Significant labor costs result from using a bill validator and a ticket printer on an EGM. The labor costs involve periodically removing a drop box including received tickets and cash from the EGM and replacing it with an empty one, counting the cash and tickets removed from the EGM and refilling the ticket stacks on the EGM. Additionally, the drop box is typically manually marked with an identification of the EGM that it was removed from and a date and time of removal.
The removed drop box is typically transported to a secure area where additional personnel are involved in counting and recording the various sums of cash and/or ticket vouchers removed from each EGM. The cash amounts removed from each EGM are reconciled with other information sources, such as from hard meters on the EGM or records from a server that generates and validates ticket vouchers. The reconciliation process may be important for ensuring the earnings from the EGM are properly taxed.
Identifying a drop box at retrieval may be error prone and may introduce irregularities corresponding to the reconciliation. One solution to such issues includes a smart drop box that includes complex technology that validates and records transactions for each of the contents therein. However, such smart drop boxes may result in significant additional costs for the drop box relative to a “dumb” drop box that is without the validation and/or recording components. Additionally, smart drop boxes may be configured to operate in specific EGM types, such as manufacturer specific smart drop boxes. Such configurations may result in even greater expense for an operator such as a casino.